Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam has been removed from the responsibility to represent the Ministry of Defence in Parliament, two years after he was given the charge.
The Cabinet Division in a new order has put Law Minister Anisul Huq at the helm of the defence ministry in the House, a Parliament Secretariat official told bdnews24.com on Tuesday.
Later, another circular from the Parliament Secretariat also confirmed Syed Ashraf’s removal.
It said Huq will be representing the key ministry in Parliament from Tuesday.
It is unclear what has caused the sudden shuffle.
Syed Ashraf was supposed to table two bills related to defence services in Tuesday’s session. But the law minister tabled them instead.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury also called Huq as the minister deputed to represent the defence ministry in Parliament while asking him to table the bills for passage.
Syed Ashraf was not present on the floor at the time. Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina entered right after Huq tabled the two bills.
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraf has been representing the defence ministry since the beginning of the 10th Parliament.
Prime Minister and ruling party President Hasina herself holds the defence ministry portfolio.
She had fired her trusted lieutenant Syed Ashraf as the LGRD minister last year, sparking wild speculations.
A week later, Hasina, however, gave him the politically important portfolio of public administration.
Source: Bd news24
